Territorial Army (United Kingdom) | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Territorial Army (United Kingdom) e The Territorial Army (TA) is the part-time volunteer force of the British Army . With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA soldiers serve on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals attached to regular units. Over one thousand TA soldiers are deployed each year. In addition 1,100 Territorial soldiers currently serve as Non Regular Permanent Staff . The highest ranking Territorial is Major General Greg Smith TD who is Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets). Contents Edit As a locally raised volunteer part-time force, the TA may be considered a militia [1] and several units bear the title "militia". [2] TA members have a minimum commitment to serve 27 training days per annum. This period normally includes a two-week period of continuous training either as a (TA) unit, on courses or attached to a regular unit. Territorial soldiers are paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents.

Soldiers of the Territorial Army are often serving alongside their regular counterparts, including operations in Afghanistan where 1,000 out of the total 10,100 deployed are reservists[ citation needed ], around 10% of the total. The annual budget of the Territorial Army is approximately £350 million – around 1.3% of the total defence budget . [3] Legal status Edit During periods of total war , the Territorial Army is incorporated by the Royal Prerogative into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for the duration of hostilities until re-activation is decided upon. After World War II for example the TA was not demobilised until 1947. Territorials normally have a full-time job or career, which in some cases provides skills and expertise that are directly transferable to a specialist military role, such as NHS employees serving in TA Army Medical Services units. All Territorial personnel have their civilian jobs protected to a limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is however no legal protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the TA in the normal course of events (i.e. when not mobilised).

Historical overview Edit Its original purpose was home defence although the establishment of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967 involved a restructuring and revised doctrine leading to provision of routine support for the Regular army overseas. Reservists in the past also served as constables or bailiffs, even holding positions of civic duty as overseer of their parish. The more modern Yeomen of the 18th century were cavalry based units, which were often used to suppress riots, such as the infamous Peterloo Massacre . The Territorial Army was created in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Haldane , when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force , with the Militia and Yeomanry . Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Some, notably the London Regiment , Glasgow Highlanders and Liverpool Scottish maintained a separate identity.

Formation to World War I Main article: Territorial Force The Territorial Force was originally formed by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Burdon Haldane , following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Army with the remaining units of militia and yeomanry . The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained 14 infantry divisions , and 14 mounted yeomanry brigades . It had an overall strength of approximately 269,000. The individual units that made up each division or brigade were administered by County Associations, with the county's lord lieutenant as president. The other members of the association consisted of military members (chosen from the commanding officers of the units), representative members (nominated by the county councils and county boroughs in the lieutenancy county) and co-opted members (often retired military officers). Associations took over any property vested in the volunteers or yeomanry under their administration. Each regiment or battalion had a regular army officer attached as full-time adjutant.

The use of the word territorial signified that the volunteers who served with the force were under no obligation to serve overseas — in 1910, when asked to nominate for Imperial Service overseas in the event of mobilisation, less than 10% of the Force chose to do so. In August 1914, after the outbreak of World War I , Territorial units were given the option of serving in France and by 25 August in excess of 70 battalions had volunteered. This question over the availability of Territorial divisions for overseas service was one of Lord Kitchener 's motivations for raising the New Army separately. Territorial formations initially saw service in Egypt and India and other Empire garrisons such as Gibraltar , thereby releasing regular units for service in France and enabling the formation of an additional five regular army divisions (for a total of eleven) by early 1915. Several reserve units were also deployed with regular formations and the first Territorial unit to see action on the Western Front was the Glasgow Territorial Signallers Group, Royal Engineers at the First Battle of Ypres on 11 October 1914.

The first fully Territorial division to join the fighting on the Western Front was the 46th Division in March 1915, with divisions later serving in Gallipoli and elsewhere. As the war progressed and casualties mounted, the distinctive character of Territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript and New Army drafts. Following the Armistice all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded. Interwar re-establishment and World War II Edit New recruiting started in early 1920, and the Territorial Force was reconstituted 7 February 1920. On 1 October 1920 the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army. The 1st Line divisions (that were created in 1907 or 1908) were reconstituted in that year. However, the composition of the divisions was altered with a reduction in the number of infantry battalions required. There was also a reduced need for cavalry, and of the fifty-five yeomanry regiments, only the fourteen senior regiments retained their horses. The remaining yeomanry were converted to artillery or armoured car units or disbanded.

[4] [5] The amalgamation of forty pairs of infantry battalions was announced in October, 1921. [6] [7] As part of the post-war " Geddes Axe " financial cuts the TA was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps units were either reduced in size or abolished. [8] An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London. [9] [10] On 29 March 1939 it was announced that the size of the TA was to be doubled by the reforming of the 2nd line units. The total strength of the TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organised in 26 divisions while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section.

[11] [12] When the 2nd Line was reformed they were a little different from their WWI predecessors. They had slightly different names and the regiments assigned were different. After VJ Day in August 1945, the Territorial Army was significantly downsized with all 2nd Line and several 1st Line Divisions once again disbanded. List of TA Divisions, World War II The Territorial Army armoured and infantry divisions during World War II were: 1st Line: 56th (London) Armoured Division The 16th Airborne Division , a totally TA formation, was also raised at this time, under the command of Major-General Roy Urquhart . The Territorials also provided much of the anti-aircraft cover for the United Kingdom until 1956. In that year Anti-Aircraft Command and 15 anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery were disbanded, with nine others passing into "suspended animation" as new English Electric Thunderbird Surface to Air Missile units replaced them.

[14] On 20 December 1955 the Secretary of State for War informed the House of Commons that the armoured divisions and the Lowland mixed division were to be converted to infantry, and the 16th Airborne Division reduced to a parachute brigade group. [15] The territorial units of the Royal Armoured Corps were also reduced in number to nine armoured regiments and eleven reconnaissance regiments. This was effected by amalgamation of pairs of regiments, and the conversion of four RAC units to an infantry role. At the same time, the 16th Airborne Division was reduced to in size to become the 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group . [16] British forces contracted dramatically as the end of conscription in 1960 came in sight as announced in the 1957 Defence White Paper . On 20 July 1960 a reorganisation of the TA was announced in the House of Commons. The Territorials were to be reduced from 266 fighting units to 195.

There was to be a reduction of 46 regiments of the Royal Artillery, 18 battalions of infantry, 12 regiments of the Royal Engineers and 2 regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. [17] The reductions were carried out in 1961, mainly by amalgamation of units. This was followed by complete reorganisation announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper from 1 April 1967 when the title Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted which abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the TA. Units in the new TAVR were divided into four categories: TAVR I: Units available for all purposes TAVR II: Units with a NATO role, specifically support for the British Army of the Rhine TAVR III: Home Defence units TAVR IV: Consisting of bands and the University-based Officer Training Corps TAVR I and II units were known as "Volunteers", and those in TAVR III as "Territorials". These terms were often incorporated into the unit titles.

The TAVR III was disbanded in 1969, with the units being reduced to eight-man "cadres". The cadres became part of a "sponsoring" TAVR II unit, although continuing to wear the badges and perpetuating the traditions of their forebears. An increase in the size of the TAVR in 1971 lead to the formation of a number of battalions based on these cadres. [18] [19] In 1979 the Territorial Army title was restored, and in the following years its size was somewhat increased, with the regimental system being progressively reinstated. Although due to its decreased established size, Brigades rather than Divisions were used at a manoeuvre formation level. The TA was thus re-roled into its modern form. Instead of supplying complete combat divisions, its function was to round out regular formations by supplying units of up to battalion size (including infantry, light artillery and formation reconnaissance ), and to supply extra support functions such as engineers, medical units and military police. After the Strategic Defence Review of 1998, the TA's size of around 56,200 was further reduced.

The Infantry suffered most, with 87 companies in 33 battalions reducing to 67 companies in 15 battalions. As of 2006 the Territorial Army has an authorised strength of 42,000 though recruiting difficulties put the actual strength of the TA below that figure (manning is currently at approx 82% which equates to 34,000). Units also have attached TA soldiers have seen service in a number of conflicts that the UK has been involved with since 1945. However, they served in particularly large numbers in two conflicts. The Korean War and Suez Crisis , which were during the 1950s when the entire TA was called up. Throughout the Cold War however, the Territorial Army was never regarded as a particularly usable force overseas, either by the Government of the day or by the Regular Army. This was due to the fact that the entire Territorial Army had to be mobilised by Royal Prerogative in a wartime scenario, as occurred in the World Wars, with no flexibility to use smaller formations or specialists if required and as a result relied purely on Territorials willing to volunteer their services.

Therefore, its role was, at least unofficially, seen as home defence and as a result the TA was not used in conflicts such as the 1982 Falklands War and 1991 Gulf War [20] (205 Scottish General Hospital were mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 1991 Gulf War and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East.) However, the Government passed the Reserve Forces Act 1996, [21] which enables individual TA personnel to be compulsorily called up for deployment, with certain caveats exempting those in full-time education and other compassionate reasons, as well as providing protection by employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised, which has led to the TA increasingly providing routine support for the Regular army overseas. In 2003, 9,500 reservists, the vast majority of them from the TA, were mobilised to take part in Operation Telic , the invasion of Iraq, in contrast only some 420 Regular Reservists were called-up.

Approximately 1,200 members of the TA continue to deploy annually on tours of duty in Iraq, Operation Herrick in Afghanistan and elsewhere, normally on 6 month-long Roulements . They cannot be used in operations for more than 12 months in any three-year period - making most of those who have already served ineligible for call up for two years afterwards. However given the relatively-small size of the Regular British Army, coupled with the current high rate of operational deployments, it is inconceivable that the TA will not see further extensive overseas service. Regional brigades Edit Territorial Army units are widely dispersed across the country – much more so than the Regular units, and in many areas they are the only visible face of the Armed Forces. They help to keep society informed about the Armed Forces, and of the importance of defence to the nation, and have an active role supporting the Army Cadet Force and events such as Ten Tors . They provide a means by which the community as a whole can contribute to Britain’s defence. Most units of the Territorial Army are organised into Regional Brigades for administrative and training purposes, dependent upon their geographic location within the United Kingdom. Exceptions include the Army Medical Services and UKSF (R).

The Brigades also co-ordinate Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRF) in their respective regions, which are organised to provide support to the emergency services if required: [22] Edit Throughout the British Empire , home defence units, like the Royal Hong Kong Regiment , were raised in various British colonies with the intention of allowing Regular Army units tied-up on garrison duty to be deployed elsewhere. Although they have generally been organised along Territorial Army lines, they are NOT part of the British army and are funded by the OT government and not by British tax payers. There are three units, today, in the remaining British Overseas Territories (BOT): the Bermuda Regiment , the Royal Gibraltar Regiment , and the Falkland Islands Defence Force . Although the British Government, as national government, is responsible for the defence of the territories, and holds direct control of military units raised within them, the local forces are raised and funded by the local governments of the territories. These units must meet British Army standards in organisation and efficiency.

Their officers are commissioned by Sandhurst, and their sergeants attend the Platoon Sergeants course at Brecon (itself having been begun as a course for Parachute Regiment NCOs, created by a Bermudian officer, Major-General Glyn Charles Anglim Gilbert ). Although OT units may have no tasking under the Ministry of Defence , and members may not be compelled to serve outside their territory, many serve voluntarily on attachment to Regular Army units. In the 1980s, a cadre of officers and NCOs from the Bermuda Regiment was briefly attached to a battalion of the affiliated Royal Anglian Regiment deployed to Belize, guarding against a threatened invasion by Guatemala. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is moving towards full integration with the British Army, having been added to the Army List , and with two of its three rifle companies having become full-time, following the withdrawal of the Regular Army garrison in 1991. Basic training For TA soldiers, recruit training is structured into two phases: Phase 1, also known as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) Course, and Phase 2, specialist training.

[23] Phase 1 In Phase 1, recruits cover the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) in a series of 6 training weekends at Regional Training Centres (RTCs). For non-infantry units, CMS(R) concludes with a two week training course normally held at an Army Training Regiment , whilst infantry recruits have an extra 3 weekends and then go directly to their Phase 2 Training at Catterick. [24] Recruits to the 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment [25] and the Honourable Artillery Company [26] complete their equivalent of CMS(R) within their own units. Phase 2 Phase 1 is followed by Phase 2, a further period of specialist training specific to the type of unit the recruit is joining. This is normally conducted by the Arm or Service that the recruit is joining, for example for infantry units, Phase 2 consists of the two week Combat Infantryman's Course (TA) (CIC (TA)) held at the Infantry Training Centre , Catterick .

[27] Officers Edit To gain a commission, Potential Officers have to pass through four modules of training, which together form the Territorial Army Commissioning Course (TACC). Module 1 is the same as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) course. As many Officers initially serve a period of time as Soldiers, this module is only undertaken by the minority that join the TA directly as Potential Officers under the Direct Entry TA Potential Officer (DETAPO) system. Module 2 covers training in Tactics, Leadership, Doctrine and Navigation, both in theory and in practice, and a further series of selection and aptitude tests are undertaken, usually spread over 10 weekends. This also includes passing The Army Officer Selection Board Briefing and Main Board, after which Potential Officers are formally designated as Officer Cadets . Module 3 applies the theory taught in Module 2 into a 9 day Battle Camp . Modules 1 to 3 are run by Regional Training Centres around the UK. Module 4. Passing the AOSB and Module 3 then enables Officer Cadets to attend an intensive three week Assessment at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , which forms Module 4.

On successful completion of Module 4, the Officer Cadets receive their Commission and become Second Lieutenants . Further training that is required prior to them being considered for operational deployment and promotion to Lieutenant includes: Post Commissioning Training (formerly known as Module 5), again run at an RTC, over 3 weekends. Special To Arm training is specific to the type of unit the Subaltern is joining, for example, the 2 week Platoon Commander's Battle Course held at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon. See also Honourable Artillery Company Archives (HAC) | The National Archives Honourable Artillery Company Archives (HAC) Honourable Artillery Company Archives (HAC) Details of Honourable Artillery Company Archives (HAC) This record is held by Honourable Artillery Company Honourable Artillery Company Archives (HAC) Reference: HAC Description: Records of the Honourable Artillery Company and its clubs and societies. With some personal papers of individual members Date: Honourable Artillery Company , not available at The National Archives Language: 3 Subfonds Administrative History: The Honourable Artillery Company, which was founded in 1537, has a long and distinguished history in the annals of the British Army.

Regiments of the Company have fought with distinction in both World Wars and its current Regiment, which now forms part of the Territorial Army, has a demanding and exciting role. If mobilised, the HAC Regiment would provide part of NATO's Rapid Reaction Corps The Company is a Charity. Its purpose being to attend to the "better defence of the realm" and this purpose is primarily achieved by sustained support for the Regiment The vision for the HAC is of a dynamic organisation that has flair, is robust and enduring. The HAC conserves its traditions and its high standards. It aspires to be successful and efficient in fulfilling its purpose with the continuing existence of the Regiment being of paramount importance. Its members share a collective purpose and are vigorous and dedicated to achieving excellence in all their many endeavours Members of the Regiment are drawn, for the most part, from young professional men and women working in and around the City and Greater London, and the Company values and sustains its close working relationship with the City.

Those leaving the Regiment may become Veteran Members and remain within the fraternity of the Company, which they then serve in a variety of ways There are many other facets to this complex and traditional Company and it is hoped that this guide, however brief, will provide an insight into its make-up, traditions and character HISTORY In 1537, the Fraternity or Guild of St George received a Charter of Incorporation from King Henry VIII. According to the Charter, the Guild of St George was intended for 'The better increase of the Defence of this our Realm and maintenance of the Science and Feat of shooting Long Bows, Cross Bows and Hand Guns'. The Honourable Artillery Company is thus the oldest regiment in the British Army. It is, in precedence, the second most senior unit of the Territorial Army. The Guild of St George became known as 'The Gentlemen of the Artillery Garden', after its practice ground in Spitalfields, then simply as 'The Artillery Company'. The word 'artillery' was used at that time to describe archery and other missile weapons, while guns were known as 'great artillery'.

The courtesy prefix 'Honourable', which was first used in 1685, was officially confirmed by Queen Victoria in 1860 Captains of the Artillery Garden provided officers for the London Trained Bands, a citizen militia, most notably when they assembled at Tilbury Camp in 1588 to oppose the Spanish Armada. Members of the Artillery Company fought on both the Royalist and Parliamentary sides during the English Civil War of 1642 to 1649. Although the Company's silver was lost during the Civil War, its archives survive from 1657 onwards. Since 1633 the HAC has been governed by a Court of Assistants, similar to many of the City Livery Companies, and a number of committees are appointed by the Court. The first Annual General Court for which a record can be found was held in 1660 The Company has always had strong connections with the City of London. In the early part of the seventeenth century, the Court of Aldermen appointed the chief officers and paid the professional soldiers who trained members of the Company.

Even today, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Sheriffs are honorary members of the Court of Assistants Since the Restoration, the Company has provided Guards of Honour in the City for visits by members of the Royal Family, foreign Royals and other Heads of State. The Company's role in restoring order to the City following the Gordon Riots of 1780 prompted the gift of its first cannon by the Corporation of London and led to the creation of an HAC Artillery Division In 1830, King William IV ordered the uniform of the HAC to be based on that of the Grenadier Guards. Thirty years later, control of the Company moved from the Home Office to the War Office and, in 1889, a Royal Warrant gave the Secretary of State for War full control of the Company's military affairs. The Light Cavalry was formed in 1861 as a reconnaissance unit for the infantry, becoming a horse battery in 1891 and accounting for the Regiment's link with the Royal Horse Artillery The HAC received its first Battle Honour, 'South Africa, 1900-02', during the Boer War.

Almost two hundred members of the Company served in South Africa, the majority in the City Imperial Volunteers as infantry, mounted infantry, and in a Field Battery that was officered and for the most part manned by members of the Company. The Company became part of the newly formed Territorial Army with the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act in 1907. Its property and privileges were protected by the Honourable Artillery Company Act 1908 Two Infantry Battalions and five Batteries of the HAC fought in the First World War. The 1st Battalion served in France and Flanders, with particular distinction at Hooge, Beaucourt, and Gavrelle. The 2nd Battalion saw active service in France and in Italy, where it played an important role in the crossing of the Piave. Two Batteries went to the Middle East to fight in Aden, Egypt, and Palestine while two Reserve Batteries and a Siege Battery fought in France. In total, almost thirteen thousand members of the Company served during the First World War and over sixteen hundred of these were killed or died of wounds or sickness. Three members of the HAC were awarded the Victoria Cross. Lieutenant A.O.

Pollard, VC, MC, DCM (1893-1960) and Lieutenant R.L. Haine, VC, MC (1896-1982), received the medal for conspicuous bravery and determination while they were fighting with the 1st Battalion at Gavrelle in April 1917. Lieutenant (Acting Captain) T.T. Pryce, VC, MC & Bar (1886-1918), who was originally a private in the 1st Battalion, won a posthumous Victoria Cross as an officer in the Grenadier Guards A detachment of HAC Metropolitan Special Constables was formed in 1919. The Artillery Division of the HAC was granted the privilege of firing Royal salutes at the Tower of London in 1924. The following year saw the formation of the HAC's Company of Pikemen and Musketeers At the outset of the Second World War the Infantry Battalion of the HAC became an Officer Cadet Training Unit. The 11th and 12th HAC Regiments of Royal Horse Artillery served in North Africa and in Italy.

In 1942 they were re-equipped with 'Priest' self-propelled guns (American 105 mm guns mounted on tank chassis). The 13th HAC Regiment of Royal Horse Artillery fought in Normandy and Holland and across the Rhine into Germany. The Company also provided a Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment and two Heavy Anti-Aircraft Batteries of the Royal Artillery. Major R. H. Cain, VC (admitted to the HAC in 1928), was awarded the Victoria Cross while serving with the South Staffordshire Regiment during the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. Some 3,800 members of the Company received commissions and over seven hundred members lost their lives during the Second World War In 1947 the Company was reorganised into an Infantry Battalion and two Royal Horse Artillery Regiments of Self-propelled Artillery and of mobile Heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillery. The latter Regiment was disbanded eight years later. The Territorial Army became the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) from 1967 until it resumed its original name in 1980.

The HAC was reorganised into four squadrons that formed part of the British Army of the Rhine in 1973. The present-day role of the HAC is to provide surveillance and target acquisition patrols for the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Creator Names: Army Reserve (United Kingdom) | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Army Reserve (United Kingdom) See also: List of Territorial Army units (2012) The Army Reserve (formerly known as the Territorial Army) is a volunteer active-duty reservist force and integrated element of the British Army . The TA represents about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. [1] TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals attached to regular units. Over one thousand TA soldiers are deployed overseas on operations each year. The highest ranking Territorial is Major-General Greg Smith TD , who is Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets).

The Territorial Army was created as the Territorial Force in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Haldane , when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force , with the Yeomanry (at the same time the Militia was renamed the Special Reserve ). Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Some, notably the London , Monmouthshire and Hertfordshire Regiments maintained a separate identity. Its original purpose was home defence, although the establishment of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967 involved a restructuring and revised doctrine leading to the provision of routine support for the regular army overseas. Reservists in the past also served as constables or bailiffs, even holding positions of civic duty as overseer of their parish. The more modern Yeomen of the 18th century were cavalry-based units, which were often used to suppress riots such as the infamous Peterloo Massacre .

Several units that are now part of the TA bear the title "militia", [2] reflecting their origins as part of that organisation prior to the formation of the TA. Contents Edit During periods of total war , the Territorial Army is incorporated by the Royal Prerogative into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for the duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War , for example, the TA was not demobilised until 1947. Territorials normally have a full-time civilian job or career, which in some cases provides skills and expertise that are directly transferable to a specialist military role, such as NHS employees serving in TA Army Medical Services units. All Territorial personnel have their civilian jobs protected to a limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is, however, no legal protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the TA in the normal course of events (i.e. when not mobilised).

History Main article: Territorial Force The Territorial Force was originally formed by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Burdon Haldane , following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force with the Yeomanry . As part of the same process, remaining units of militia were converted to the Special Reserve . The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained fourteen infantry divisions , and fourteen mounted yeomanry brigades . It had an overall strength of approximately 269,000. The individual units that made up each division or brigade were administered by County Associations, with the county's lord lieutenant as president. The other members of the association consisted of military members (chosen from the commanding officers of the units), representative members (nominated by the county councils and county boroughs in the lieutenancy county) and co-opted members (often retired military officers). Associations took over any property vested in the volunteers or yeomanry under their administration. Each regiment or battalion had a regular army officer attached as full-time adjutant.

The use of the word territorial signified that the volunteers who served with the force were under no obligation to serve overseas—in 1910, when asked to nominate for Imperial Service overseas in the event of mobilisation, less than 10% of the Force chose to do so. In August 1914, after the outbreak of the First World War , Territorial units were given the option of serving in France and, by 25 August, in excess of seventy battalions had volunteered. This question over the availability of Territorial divisions for overseas service was one of Lord Kitchener 's motivations for raising the New Army separately. Territorial formations initially saw service in Egypt and India and other Empire garrisons such as Gibraltar , thereby releasing regular units for service in France and enabling the formation of an additional five regular army divisions (for a total of eleven) by early 1915. Several reserve units were also deployed with regular formations and the first Territorial unit to see action on the Western Front was the Glasgow Territorial Signallers Group, Royal Engineers at the First Battle of Ypres on 11 October 1914.

The first fully Territorial division to join the fighting on the Western Front was the 46th Division in March 1915, with divisions later serving in Gallipoli and elsewhere. As the war progressed, and casualties mounted, the distinctive character of Territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript and New Army drafts. Following the Armistice all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded. Interwar re-establishment and the Second World War Edit New recruiting started in early 1920, and the Territorial Force was reconstituted on 7 February 1920. On 1 October 1920, the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army.[ citation needed ] The 1st Line divisions (that were created in 1907 or 1908) were reconstituted in that year. However, the composition of the divisions was altered, with a reduction in the number of infantry battalions required. There was also a reduced need for cavalry, and of the 55 yeomanry regiments, only the 14 most senior retained their horses.

The remaining yeomanry were converted to artillery or armoured car units or disbanded. [3] [4] The amalgamation of 40 pairs of infantry battalions was announced in October 1921. [5] [6] As part of the post-war " Geddes Axe " financial cuts, the TA was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps units were either reduced in size or abolished. [7] The bounty was also reduced to £3 for trained men and £2.10s0d for recruits, which resulted in finding GBP 1,175,000 of the total savings required from the army as a whole. [8] An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London. [9] [10] On 29 March 1939, it was announced that the size of the TA was to be doubled by the reforming of the 2nd line units.

The total strength of the TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organised in 26 divisions, while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. [11] [12] When the 2nd Line was reformed, they were a little different from their First World War predecessors. They had slightly different names and the regiments assigned were different. After VJ Day in August 1945, the Territorial Army was significantly downsized, with all 2nd Line and several 1st Line Divisions once again disbanded. List of TA Divisions, Second World War The Territorial Army armoured and infantry divisions during the Second World War were: 1st Line: 56th (London) Armoured Division The 16th Airborne Division , a totally TA formation, was also raised at this time, under the command of Major-General Roy Urquhart .

52nd (Lowland) Division was reraised as a tenth, 'mixed' division in March 1950. [14] The Territorials also provided much of the anti-aircraft cover for the United Kingdom until 1956. In that year, Anti-Aircraft Command and 15 anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery were disbanded, with nine others passing into "suspended animation" as new English Electric Thunderbird Surface to Air Missile units replaced them. [15] On 20 December 1955, the Secretary of State for War informed the House of Commons that the armoured divisions and the 'mixed' division were to be converted to infantry, and the 16th Airborne Division reduced to a parachute brigade group. [16] Only two divisions (43rd and 53rd), two armoured brigades, and a parachute brigade were to remain allocated for NATO and the defence of Western Europe; the other eight divisions were placed on a lower establishment for home defence only. [17] The territorial units of the Royal Armoured Corps were also reduced in number to nine armoured regiments and eleven reconnaissance regiments.

This was effected by amalgamation of pairs of regiments, and the conversion of four RAC units to an infantry role. The new parachute brigade group become the 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group . [18] British forces contracted dramatically as the end of conscription in 1960 came in sight as announced in the 1957 Defence White Paper . On 20 July 1960, a reorganisation of the TA was announced in the House of Commons. The Territorials were to be reduced from 266 fighting units to 195. There was to be a reduction of 46 regiments of the Royal Artillery, 18 battalions of infantry, 12 regiments of the Royal Engineers and two regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. [19] The reductions were carried out in 1961, mainly by amalgamation of units. Thus, on 1 May 1961, the TA divisional headquarters were merged with regular army districts, which were matched with Civil Defence Regions to aid mobilisation for war.

[20] The number of infantry brigades were reduced from 31 to 23, and the two armoured brigades were disbanded. This was followed by a complete reorganisation announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper from 1 April 1967, when the title Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted, that abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the TA. Units in the new TAVR were divided into four categories: TAVR I: Units available for all purposes TAVR II: Units with a NATO role, specifically support for the British Army of the Rhine TAVR III: Home Defence units TAVR IV: Consisting of bands and the University-based Officer Training Corps TAVR I and II units were known as "Volunteers", and those in TAVR III as "Territorials". These terms were often incorporated into the unit titles. The TAVR III was disbanded in 1969, with the units being reduced to eight-man "cadres".

The cadres became part of a "sponsoring" TAVR II unit, although continuing to wear the badges and perpetuating the traditions of their forebears. An increase in the size of the TAVR in 1971 led to the formation of a number of battalions based on these cadres. [21] [22] In 1979, the Territorial Army title was restored and, in the following years, its size was somewhat increased, with the regimental system being progressively reinstated. Although, due to its decreased established size, Brigades rather than Divisions were used at a manoeuvre formation level. The TA was thus re-roled into its modern form. Instead of supplying complete combat divisions, its function was to round out regular formations by supplying units of up to battalion size (including infantry, light artillery and formation reconnaissance ), and to supply extra support functions such as engineers, medical units and military police. 1998 onwards Edit After the Strategic Defence Review of 1998, the TA's size of around 56,200 was further reduced.

The Infantry suffered most, with 87 companies in 33 battalions reducing to 67 companies in 15 battalions. As of 2006, the Territorial Army has an authorised strength of 42,000 though recruiting difficulties put the actual strength of the TA below that figure (manning is currently at approx 82% which equates to 34,000). TA soldiers have seen service in a number of conflicts that the UK has been involved with since 1945. However, they served in particularly large numbers in two conflicts: the Korean War and the Suez Crisis ; both occurred during the 1950s and, on each occasion, the entire TA was called up. Throughout the Cold War, however, the Territorial Army was never regarded as a particularly usable force overseas, either by the Government of the day or by the Regular Army.

This was due to the fact that the entire Territorial Army had to be mobilised by Royal Prerogative in a wartime scenario, as occurred in the World Wars, with no flexibility to use smaller formations or specialists if required and, as a result, relied purely on Territorials willing to volunteer their services.

Therefore, its role was, at least unofficially, seen as home defence and, as a result, the TA was not used in conflicts such as the 1982 Falklands War and 1991 Gulf War [23] (205 Scottish General Hospital was mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 1991 Gulf War and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict, either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East.) However, the Government passed the Reserve Forces Act 1996, [24] which enables individual TA personnel to be compulsorily called up for deployment, with certain caveats exempting those in full-time education and other compassionate reasons, as well as providing protection by employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised, which has led to the TA increasingly providing routine support for the Regular Army overseas.

In 2003, 9,500 reservists, the vast majority of them from the TA, were mobilised to take part in Operation Telic , the invasion of Iraq, in contrast only some 420 Regular Reservists were called-up. Approximately 1,200 members of the TA have continued to deploy annually on tours of duty in Iraq, Operation Herrick in Afghanistan and elsewhere, normally on six month-long roulements . They cannot be used in operations for more than twelve months in any three-year period - making most of those who have already served ineligible for call up for two years afterwards. However, given the relatively small size of the Regular British Army, coupled with the current high rate of operational deployments, it is inconceivable that the TA will not see further extensive overseas service. TA members have a minimum commitment to serve 27 training days per annum. This period normally includes a two-week period of continuous training either as a (TA) unit, on courses or attached to a regular unit. Territorial soldiers are paid at a similar rate as their regular equivalents while engaged on military activities.

Soldiers of the Territorial Army are often serving alongside their regular counterparts, including operations in Afghanistan where 1,000 out of the total 10,100 deployed are reservists[ citation needed ], around 10% of the total. The annual budget of the Territorial Army is approximately £350 million – around 1.3% of the total defence budget . [25] 2011 onwards and renaming Edit Under the "Future Reserves 2020" (FR20) plan outlined by Defence Secretary Liam Fox on 18 July 2011, the Ministry of Defence will provide more money to train more TA soldiers with the objective of more frequently deploying entire TA units (much like Army National Guard units in the United States.) Currently, only units of the Territorial Army Medical Services are deployed as formed units. Under the reform plan, the Total Force will be restructured so that, by 2020, the British Army will have 120,000 soldiers, of which 84,000 will be regulars and 36,000 TA (a ratio of 70/30).

The Territorial Army will also be renamed under that plan, becoming the Army Reserve. [26] [27] Overseas territories Edit Throughout the British Empire , home defence units, like the Royal Hong Kong Regiment , were raised in various British colonies with the intention of allowing Regular Army units tied-up on garrison duty to be deployed elsewhere. Although they have generally been organised along Territorial Army lines, they are NOT part of the British army and are funded by the OT government and not by British tax payers. There are three units, today, in the remaining British Overseas Territories (BOT): the Bermuda Regiment , the Royal Gibraltar Regiment , and the Falkland Islands Defence Force . Although the British Government, as national government, is responsible for the defence of the territories, and holds direct control of military units raised within them, the local forces are raised and funded by the local governments of the territories. These units must meet British Army standards in organisation and efficiency. Their officers are commissioned by Sandhurst, and their sergeants attend the Platoon Sergeants course at Brecon (itself having been begun as a course for Parachute Regiment NCOs, created by a Bermudian officer, Major-General Glyn Charles Anglim Gilbert ).

Although OT units may have no tasking under the Ministry of Defence , and members may not be compelled to serve outside their territory, many serve voluntarily on attachment to Regular Army units. In the 1980s, a cadre of officers and NCOs from the Bermuda Regiment was briefly attached to a battalion of the affiliated Royal Anglian Regiment deployed to Belize, guarding against a threatened invasion by Guatemala. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is moving towards full integration with the British Army, having been added to the Army List , and with two of its three rifle companies having become full-time, following the withdrawal of the Regular Army garrison in 1991. Basic training For TA soldiers, recruit training is structured into two phases: Phase 1, also known as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) Course, and Phase 2, specialist training. [28] Phase 1 In Phase 1, recruits cover the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) in a series of 6 training weekends at Regional Training Centres (RTCs), these are now known as Army Training Units (ATUs). The first 6 weekends is known as the Trained Soldier Course (Alpha).

Some ATUs run consoidated TSC(A) courses over 2 weeks. For non-infantry units, CMS(R) concludes with a two-week training course normally held at an Army Training Regiment , known as the Trained Soldier Course (Bravo) (TSC(B)), whilst infantry recruits have an extra 3 weekends (TSC(Inf)) and then go directly to their Phase 2 Training at Catterick. [28] Recruits to the 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment [29] and the Honourable Artillery Company [30] complete their equivalent of CMS(R) within their own units. Phase 2 Phase 1 is followed by Phase 2, a further period of specialist training specific to the type of unit the recruit is joining. This is normally conducted by the Arm or Service that the recruit is joining, for example for infantry units, Phase 2 consists of the two-week Combat Infantryman's Course (TA) (CIC (TA)) held at the Infantry Training Centre , Catterick . [28] Officers Edit To gain a commission, Potential Officers have to pass through four modules of training, which together form the Territorial Army Commissioning Course (TACC).

Module 1 is the same as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) course. As many Officers initially serve a period of time as Soldiers, this module is only undertaken by the minority that join the TA directly as Potential Officers under the Direct Entry TA Potential Officer (DETAPO) system. Module 2 covers training in Tactics, Leadership, Doctrine and Navigation, both in theory and in practice, and a further series of selection and aptitude tests are undertaken, usually spread over 10 weekends. This also includes passing The Army Officer Selection Board Briefing and Main Board, after which Potential Officers are formally designated as Officer Cadets . Module 3 applies the theory taught in Module 2 into a 9 day Battle Camp . Modules 1 to 3 are run by Regional Training Centres around the UK. Module 4. Passing the AOSB and Module 3 then enables Officer Cadets to attend an intensive three-week Assessment at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , which forms Module 4. On successful completion of Module 4, the Officer Cadets receive their Commission and become Second Lieutenants .

Further training that is required prior to them being considered for operational deployment and promotion to Lieutenant includes: Post Commissioning Training (formerly known as Module 5), again run at an RTC, over 3 weekends. Special To Arm training is specific to the type of unit the Subaltern is joining, for example, the 2 week Platoon Commander's Battle Course held at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon. See also

Question: Which unit of the Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve is abbreviated to HAC?
Answer: Honourable Artillery Company